


Catching Up On Childhood

by Kalira



Category: Naruto
Genre: Baby Ninja Getting To Be Kids, Discord: Umino Hours, Fun, Gaara Didn't Have A Childhood, Gen, Hatake Kakashi Gets That, M/M, Playing, Sledding, Umino Hours Winter Bingo, Umino Hours Winter Bingo 2020-2021, Uzumaki Naruto Didn't Have A Childhood, Uzumaki Naruto is a Good Friend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-15 06:07:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28808586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalira/pseuds/Kalira
Summary: The very moment Naruto found out (yet another) thing that Gaara missed out on growing up, he set out to fix it! Kakashi isn't entirely sure where he and Iruka come into this, but so, it seems, they do.
Relationships: Gaara & Uzumaki Naruto, Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka
Comments: 16
Kudos: 152
Collections: Kalira's Iruka Winter Bingo Stories (2020-2021), The Umino Hours Winter Bingo 2020





	Catching Up On Childhood

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the space 'Sledding' on my [Iruka Winter Bingo board](https://kalira.dreamwidth.org/33520.html)!
> 
> This adheres to a rigorous place on the timeline of 'I have no idea just go with it', because I had an adorable mental image earlier today and I had to write it. Extra thanks to the super encouraging folks in The Umino Hours server who were so excited about it with me~

“Kakashi. Honey wake up.”

Kakashi groaned his opinion of _that_ suggestion and shoved his head under Iruka’s pillow. Iruka’s voice was calm and slow, whatever he was after it clearly wasn’t anything pressing.

“Honey.” Iruka clasped his shoulder, and Kakashi groaned again, burying himself pointedly deeper in the blankets. “Wake up. We’re going sledding. Apparently.”

Kakashi cracked his eye open, nudging the pillow up enough to peek out at Iruka. “We’re what?” he asked after a moment. Iruka looked serious. Granted, Iruka was capable of pulling a straight face the likes of which could pass muster to get a demon into a temple, but Kakashi knew his lover well. He was fairly confident in his ability to gauge Iruka’s face.

“We’re going sledding.” Iruka repeated, and Kakashi frowned.

“ _Why_ are-”

“Gaara’s never _been_!” Naruto yowled from the next room.

“Gaara’s never been.” Iruka repeated, straight-faced.

“Gaara grew up in the _desert_.” Kakashi said patiently. And quite possibly also in a _hole_ , given his village’s - and his father’s - opinion of jinchuuriki and how very uncontrolled he was - had been - but Kakashi saw no need to mention that.

“He’s been tragically deprived.” Iruka said, as Naruto almost wailed something along similar lines but with many more words out in the main room of the apartment.

Kakashi would have asked why that meant _they_ were going sledding, but he only asked questions to which he already knew the answers when it was either advantageous or amusing to do so.

“Right. Sledding.” Kakashi shifted slowly, and Iruka stroked a hand down his back. It didn’t really encourage him to get up, or even to keep moving, but Kakashi was a good shinobi. He had buckets of discipline.

He whined sulkily and went still, and Iruka’s hand slid back up along his spine, rubbing at the nape of his neck.

Kakashi sighed, then brushed Iruka’s hand away and sat up. Iruka was making a hopeful sort of face at him. Kakashi gave him a suspicious look. He’d already acknowledged they were - evidently - joining Naruto’s quest to recapture the lacking experiences of his friend’s childhood for the day - he had been on it for weeks, and Kakashi didn’t countenance a word against the occasionally loud and disruptive process, knowing all too well that Naruto was probably trying to fix it for _himself_ as well - what else could-

“Would you cook breakfast?” Iruka asked hopefully, and Kakashi snorted, lips twitching. “Please?”

“ _Dragging_ me out of bed, _early_ ,” Kakashi said, pouting a little, “on my _day off_ , and now you-”

Iruka cupped his jaw, thumb sweeping over his lips, and he fell silent. Iruka kissed him. “Thank you.” he said, nudging their noses together.

Kakashi sighed as Iruka pulled away, stretching and sliding out of bed to get dressed. A brief scuffle ensued as Iruka tried to keep him away from pulling on one of his uniforms, which was complicated by the fact that Kakashi had more uniforms than the combined number of their casual clothes.

Kakashi _did_ go to cook breakfast, once he’d dressed - wearing a pair of uniform pants and a green shirt that Gai had given him. After Kakashi had put it out on the balcony to dry with the rest of his laundry and ‘accidentally’ left it there in the sun for a few weeks the obnoxiously bright green had faded into something softer and less eye-smarting.

While Kakashi was cooking, Iruka shooed the boys out of his way and went to dig out warmer gear for all of them.

“We’re plenty warm enough, right?” Naruto asked from the couch, bouncing a little and grinning at Gaara. He didn’t grin, and he certainly didn’t _bounce_ , but he smiled a little, and Kakashi smiled at the sight of them before turning back to the stove.

“You are _not_ going to take him out to get _covered in snow_ dressed like that.” Iruka said firmly. “Your coats are fine, but I’ll get you some woollies to wrap up in; are you wearing a sweater under that?” he asked, stepping back into the main room.

Kakashi cocked his head, looking over his shoulder, and laughed softly at the two boys staring, wide-eyed, at Iruka, arms full of knit in a handful of colours.

Kakashi crossed to the edge of the kitchen area to call the others in, and Iruka piled the rest of the outdoor gear with the boys’ coats on the couch before leading the way past Kakashi, trailing his fingers over Kakashi’s hip. “Thanks, honey.” He kissed Kakashi’s jaw, then stepped out of the way, laughing, as Naruto bounded past him.

Kakashi stifled a laugh of his own, watching as Naruto dropped into a chair, reaching eagerly for a plate.

“I am sorry,” Gaara said, hanging back a little, “we did not mean to trouble you.”

Kakashi shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. It’ll be fun.” he said, hesitating, then reaching out and ruffling Gaara’s blood-red hair. He tipped his head up and Kakashi stilled, but he didn’t pull away, only met Kakashi’s gaze with wide eyes.

Kakashi hummed low in his throat and urged Gaara on towards the table. “Don’t let your breakfast get cold.” he said, looking up to find Iruka watching him with a soft look. Kakashi snorted, but returned it with a smile.

After they had all eaten, Iruka reined the boys in and between them he and Kakashi got them bundled up well enough to spend all day in the snow - even for Gaara, who was not acclimatised to their winter weather yet. Iruka put his foot down on makeshift sleds, so they took a detour to buy proper ones, which also gave their breakfast time to settle.

“Are _we_ really going to be sledding too?” Kakashi asked, hefting the sled in his left hand a little higher. Iruka had its twin in his right hand.

“Yes.” Iruka said, smiling slightly as he glanced sideways at Kakashi. “Were you expecting we’d just watch them?”

Kakashi rolled one shoulder. He hadn’t really put any thought into it, just let himself be brought along.

“Did _you_ ever actually go sledding as a child?” Iruka asked, fingers sliding down Kakashi’s arm to clasp his wrist briefly. “I know you. . .” he trailed off, glancing at the boys trotting through the snow ahead of them, probably not wanting to actually _say_ anything to bring up Kakashi’s own childhood.

Not that he hadn’t aired his opinions about Kakashi’s childhood before - it had been an impressively loud commentary, even for Iruka.

Kakashi hummed, remembering being tucked on a sled in front of his father’s crossed legs, or in his father’s lap when he had been smaller. Mama had remained at home almost every time - Mama had _loathed_ the cold - but. . .

“Yes, I have been sledding.” Kakashi said quietly, gaze on the boys ahead of them. Naruto had caught Gaara’s hand, their red and blue mittens curled together, and was talking animatedly as they walked. Gaara was quiet, but clearly listening curiously.

Kakashi pressed his lips together. “My father used to use a family jutsu to make it more exciting.” he admitted quietly.

A very old family jutsu; one from long before some of the clan had settled in the fledgling Konohagakure, before they roamed outside of Kaminari no Kuni.

“ _Please_ do not electrocute the boys.” Iruka said, voice low, and Kakashi startled, then laughed. “Kakashi! You are _well aware_ that not everyone can handle raiton the way-”

“Not a raiton jutsu.” Kakashi promised, still laughing. “It manipulates the snow. Smoothes the ride and makes it faster. My clan came from the mountains, you know. A long time ago.”

“ _Oh._ ” Iruka said, and Kakashi caught his hand - difficult though it was, since he was wearing mittens that matched the boys’ - and squeezed. “That-”

“That one, that one! Iruka-sensei can we sled down _there_?” Naruto called, and Kakashi looked up, following his pointing hand - with a little difficulty, since it was a blue blob of woolly knit. His brows rose as he took in the steep slope Naruto had indicated.

He glanced at Iruka, meeting a dubious look, then Iruka shrugged. “I don’t see why not. To the top!” he encouraged playfully, and Naruto took off running, hauling Gaara with him.

Kakashi laughed and shifted his grip on the sled. “We should have made the kids take the sleds up.” he told Iruka as they forged off in the boys’ wake.

Iruka looked up as Naruto and Gaara got further ahead of them. “All right maybe so.” he agreed, shaking his head. “They can haul them up next time.”

Despite his complaining, it wasn’t a very long trip up the slope - though Kakashi guessed that it seemed much longer to Naruto, who was waiting impatiently at the top. He stopped yelling at them to hurry up after the first time, though Kakashi wasn’t sure if it was because of Iruka’s hard look or Gaara’s prodding.

“Okay, okay, let’s _go_!” Naruto grabbed hold of the sled Iruka was carrying, tugging at it when he didn’t let go. “Gaara! Come with me!”

“All right, hold it.” Iruka said, catching Naruto by the collar and pulling at him, then patting his shoulder. “Maybe Gaara should go with one of us his first trip down, mm?”

Gaara eyed the slope with something that might have looked like nerves on another child.

“Oh. Iruka-sensei will you go down with me then?” Naruto asked immediately, shifting paths abruptly. Iruka laughed, and Kakashi crossed over to Gaara, letting the sled slip down to settle on the snow.

“Would you like to come with me, or would you rather go on a sled with Iruka?” Kakashi asked him quietly as he inspected the sled. Gaara raised his eyes again, meeting Kakashi’s gaze.

He nodded shallowly. “Yes, thank you. I do not know how to . . . sled.” he said, with the faintest frown.

“It’s easy.” Kakashi promised, clasping his shoulder. “I’ll show you what to do. It’s mostly about balance.” Gaara nodded solemnly, and Kakashi looked up to see Naruto frowning and Iruka looking at him with raised brows. He shook his head slightly. It might be something that was just fun, but Gaara wasn’t going to feel more comfortable being told that.

Iruka pursed his lips, then nodded, catching Naruto around the shoulders and drawing him a few paces away, angling the sled towards the edge of the slope. Kakashi turned Gaara that way and pointed out how Iruka and Naruto were getting settled on it together, then pulled their own sled over and took his place on the back of it, squaring his weight and beckoning to Gaara.

Gaara climbed over his calf and settled gingerly on the sled in front of him, and Kakashi squeezed his shoulder. “You’ll be more stable if you sit back against me.” he advised, and Gaara moved, letting himself relax a little. As much, Kakashi would hazard a guess, as he ever did.

“And the sled will be more stable as well, yes?” Gaara guessed. “With our weight together?”

“Yes.” Kakashi patted his shoulder. “Ready for this?”

Naruto _shrieked_ as he and Iruka shoved off and _flew_ down the slope, throwing up a plume of snow in their wake, and Kakashi squeezed Gaara’s shoulder reassuringly. Gaara stretched forwards, watching their progress down.

“Yes, let’s . . . sled.” Gaara said, settling back against Kakashi a little more this time. Kakashi wondered if he was actually nervous.

“All right.” Kakashi pushed them the last bit up to the very edge of the slope, bracing them with one heel dug into the snow. “You can hold on to me and the sled,” he tugged at the rope before them and Gaara wound his mittened hands around it, “lean with me when I move, and,” he patted Gaara, “have fun.” 

Gaara nodded, hands tightening on the rope. “I am ready.” he said, and Kakashi pushed them off without pausing to acknowledge it.

Gaara tensed immediately, and Kakashi tucked an arm around him to steady him, grinning as gravity pulled at them and the sled picked up speed rapidly. He leaned slightly left, and Gaara moved, just a little stiffly, along with him, making the sled slant crossways down the slope, moving faster and avoiding a broken patch of ice Kakashi hadn’t seen from the top.

Gaara was silent in front of him, but Kakashi had expected that - though it did make it difficult to gauge whether he was actually enjoying the ride, since Kakashi couldn’t see his face either. Kakashi hoped he was.

 _Kakashi_ found he was enjoying himself; he hadn’t been sledding since the last time he had gone with his father, not long after he had graduated from the Academy.

They were soaring over the snow by the time they reached the bottom of the slope, and they bumped onto more even ground with a skipping, skittering slide. They almost overturned, but Kakashi jerked at the rope at the front of the sled and leaned, keeping them upright, laughing.

Gaara made a soft sound Kakashi thought might, just possibly, be a _giggle_ , and he grinned, squeezing him around the waist before turning him loose. Gaara released the rope and reached down, sliding his hand along the edge of the sled beside him.

Kakashi pulled his legs back carefully and slid off the sled, crouching near the front and reaching out to Gaara. “You all right?” he asked, brushing back a bit of his bright hair that had escaped his hat and tucking it back into place.

Gaara was breathless, eyes wide in his pale face. “That- That was fun.” he said, so much quieter than Naruto would ever be when happy but light with wonder. Kakashi smiled at him, knuckles brushing his cheek. “Can. . . Can we go again?” he asked as he climbed off the sled, and Kakashi rose along with him.

“Of course.” Kakashi said, grinning, and glanced sideways at where Naruto was bouncing around the sled he and Iruka had shared not far away. “Why don’t you and Naruto try going down together this time?” he suggested, and Gaara blinked, smiling a little more.

“Thank you, Kakashi-sensei.” Gaara said politely, and Kakashi demurred, shooing him off towards Naruto and watching them chatter and laugh and begin the trek back up the steep slope, Naruto taking the sled from Iruka and dragging it after them.

“So,” Iruka looped an arm around Kakashi’s shoulders, leaning into him, “does that mean I get to squeeze on a sled with you?” he asked, tipping his head close, his hat pulled down low enough to make the tips of his hair fan around his jaw.

“Unless,” Kakashi smirked, “you expected we were just going to watch them?”

Iruka snickered and dragged at Kakashi, and they stumbled through the snow a few paces together, halfway to wrestling, before Naruto calling out to them drew their attention. Kakashi laughed, pulling hard one last time and bringing Iruka up against him, nuzzling his cheek.

“ _You_ haul the sled up this time.” Kakashi said in his ear, and then darted out of reach as Iruka swatted at him, still laughing.


End file.
